Ore-separator.



Ne. 633,456. Patented sept. I9, |899. w. ttuoPtan.

OBE SEPAHTUR.

(Application led Feb. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

/N VEA/70H W/ TN E SSE S A TTOHNE YS.

fn: Nonms tts-rens co. Pnoroeumo. WASHING-ran. n. c.

Patented septyls, |399. w. HPER. vURE SEPARATUR. (Appnctio mea Feb. 1o, 159s.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM IIOOPER, OF TIOONDEROGA, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES II. UNVERZAGT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 633,456, dated. September 19, 1899.

Application filed February 10, 1898. Serial No. 669,814. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: the leather' are extended between flanges at Be it known that I, IVILLIAM I-IOOPER, of the top of the main frame and llanges on the Ticonderoga, in the county of Essex and State top plate 3. These parts may be secured to? of New York, have invented a new and Imgether by any suitable means-such, for inproved Ore-Separator, of which the following stance, as by bolts. Supported on the bel- 55 is a full, clear, and exact description. lows-frame 8 is a perforated plate 10, and on This invention relates more particularly to the upper side of this perforated plate and machines for separating gold from placer designed to control the passage of airthrough gravels and sand; and the object is to provide the openings is a series of butterfly or liap 1o a machine by means of which the gold may valves 11. Theflapvalves may consist of eXi- 6o be rapidly separated from the sand or gravel ble materiale-such, for instance, as leatherwithout the use of water, as in the usual formed in strips and secured at their center method, thus making the machine of especial by means of metal bars 12. advantage in mining districts where water Having bearings through the end walls of cannot be obtained in sufticientquantit-ies for the main frame is the bellows-operating shaft 65 a washing process. 13, to which rotary motion may be imparted- A further object is to so construct the xnaby any desired means. Mounted on the shaft chine that the bed may be quickly adjusted 13 are eccentrics, each consisting of an inner to any desired angle. portion 1t eccentric with the shaft and an zo I will describe an ore-separator embodying' outer portion 15 on the portion 14 and eccen- 7o my invention and then point out the novel tric thereto. This outer portion l5 may be features in the appended claims. adjusted rotatively with relation to the por- Reference is to be had to the accompanying tion 11 and held as adjusted by a set-screw drawings, formingapartof this specification, 1G. This adjustment may be necessary to z 5 in whichsimilar characters of reference indigive a greater or less motion to the bellows, 75 cate corresponding parts in all the views. as the nature of the material operated upon Figure 1is=a section on the line 1 1 in Fig. may require. The eccentrics operate against of a separator embodying my invention. blocks 17 1S in a boxing 19, having openings Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a section at its opposite sides, through which the shaft 3o on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partial 13passes. From the upper blocks 1S struts 8o' elevation and partial section of a shaft and 20 extend to the frame S and are connected eccentrics thereon for operating an agitating thereto. Stems 21 extend from the lower device. Fig. 5 is an end view of one of the blocks 17 and areA movable through socket-s 22 eccentrics, and Fig. G is a side elevation of a on the base 2. Springs 23 are arranged bemodied construction and arrangement of tween the upper ends of the sockets 22 and 85 separator-bed. the base of the blocks 17. Obviously as the The machine comprises a frame having the shaft 13 is rotated the eccentrics will canse end piecesl, abase 2, and a top plate 3. The the bellows to move up and down and the frame and top plate may consist of any desprings 23 will prevent unnecessary jar.' 4o sired material. The top plate 3 is provided During the downward movement of the bel` 9o with an openin g 4, and surrounding this openlows the valves 1 1 will be lifted by the air-presing isaframe 5, having longitudinally-curved sure, so as to admit a quantity of air to the flanges 6 at the inner sides of its side pieces interior of the bellows, and of course upon an and the transverse flanges7 on the inner sides upward movement of the bellows such adof the end pieces of the frame. mitted air will be forced upward against the 95 Arranged beneath the top plate 3 is a belflexible bed of the separator to be hereinafter lows consisting of a frame 8, having its sides described. and ends connected by flexible strips 9-such, While I have shown and described an ecfor instance, as leather-to the main frame of centric mechanism for operating the bellows, 5o the machine. As here shown, the edges of it is obvious that other means may be emroo extend at the same angle as said bars.

.strips 3l.

pioyed therewith-such, for instance, as the intermittent injection of steam-and therefore l do not restrict my invention in this particular.

The separatorproper comprises a casing 24, mounted on a rocker-bed 25, having an opening 26 for the passage of air and also having an opening 27, providing communication to the under side of the flexible bed to he described. This rockeris curved longitudinally on its under side to conform to the flanges 6 of the frame 5. Therefore the separator may be adjusted to a greater or less longitudinal pitch, as .may be required, by simply moving the rocker and the parts supported thereby along the strips or fianges 6. Then the parts may be held as adjusted by any desired means, such, for instance, as clamping-bolts.

At the upper end of the casing 24 is a hopper 28, and arranged in the casing is a spider 29, which is elevated at its longitudinal center, so that its upper surface inclines downward to the side boards of the casing. The several bars forming the spider are arranged at an acute angle relatively to the length of the machine-that is, from the central portion the bars at each side are extended at aV forward and lateral angle. The several bars, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3, are substan- Iially triangular in cross-section, so that a comparatively narrow bearing edge is provided at the top, but yet the necessary strength will be secured. This spider 29 of course extends the full length of the casing 24, and stretched across the upper side of the spider is a bed 30 of flexible material-such, for instance, as a closely-woven fabric.

The edges of this flexible bed 30 are secured in a suitable manner to the casing 24. On the upper side of the bed 30 is a series of strips 3l, preferably of a non-magnetic metal, such as brass. These strips 31 are arranged directly over the bars of the spider 29, and they The strips 3l'at one side of the bed engage with the strips at the other side of the bed at the longitudinal center of the bed, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. The greater number of the strips 3l terminate against the inner side of the side pieces comprising the casing 24. The lower series, however, of these strips have their ends connected to a stop or dam strip 32, extended across the forward end of the bed and having a height equal to that of the These strips 3l are to provide the side walls of channels for receiving the gold as it is separated from the sand or similar material. This separated gold will gather in the channels near the outer ends of the strips.

Extended longitudinally of the bed and near the center thereof are plates 33 34. These plates lead from the hopper 28 to the outlet end of the machine, and they are supported a short distance above the strips 31, so that openings are provided for the discharge of refuse matter or tailings into the space between the plates 33 and 34, which forni the side walls of a conduit for leading off such refuse or tailings and discharging the same upon an inclined chute 35 at the outlet end of the machine. Extended across the strips 3l, between the plates 33 34 and the sides of the casing 24, are separator-strips 36. These strips are of metal--such, for instance, as brassand are arranged at a reverse angle to the strips 3l. These strips 36, as shown in Fig. 3, are considerably wider than the strips 3l. By making the strips or plates 36 wide they serve to bank up the sand and prevent its passing too freely through the machine, or, in other Words, they hold the sand until the gold is thoroughly separated therefrom. On the inclined chute 35 are two deflectorfingers 3'7 and 38. These deiiector-iiugers are pivoted to the chute at their lower ends, so that their upper ends may be adjusted to a greater or less distance apart, as will be fou nd necessary in the operation of the separator.

The operation is as follows: The gold containing sand or gravel is to be placed in the hopper 28, and then as the shaft 13 is put in motion the air-pressure caused by the bellows will impart a pulsating motion to the iiexible bed 30. This pulsating motion will keep the sand and gold in constant agitation while moving down the inclined bed. The heavier particles-that is, the gold-Will be caught by the metal strips 3l and will be retained in the channels or pockets formed thereby. Of course this gold will gravitate toward the sides of the bed. The sand or tailings, however, will be carried' along the upper strips 36 and will be forced into the discharge-space between the plates 33 and 34 and subsequently discharged over the chute 35 between the fingers 37 and 38. Should any portion of the gold be discharged over the dam 32, it will IOO move down the inclined chute into receptacles ment down the chute the gold will be pre.

vented from mixing with the discharging sand or tailings by means of the deflectorfingers.

In Fig. 6 I have shown that a series of separator-beds may be placed one above another and all operated by a single bellows or other agitating device. As here shown, a pipe 39 extends upward from the air-chamber of the lower separators and has branches 40 communicating with the air-chambers of the upper separators. By inclining the bed from the center laterallyin both directions a large separating area is produced, and thereforea large quantity of material may be run through the separator in a comparatively short period of time, and it is found that the constant agitation of the flexible bed thoroughly and effectually separates the gold from the sand or gravel. Further, it is obvious that the horizontal pitch of the separator may be adjusted without stopping the operation of the machine. The central channel or space between IIO the plates 3S and St enables a double discharge of the refuse, thus greatly increasing the output of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An apparatus for separating precious metals from sand or the like, comprising a frame or casing arranged at a longitudinal incline, a bed of ilexible material secured in the frame or casing, and inclined from its longitudinal center downward to the sides, a series of separating-strips on the upper surface of the bed and arranged at an equal angle from the longitudinal center of the bed to the side edges, the said strips forming channels adapted to receive the heavier particles and direct them to the outer ends of the strips, plates extending longitudinally of the bed at each side of its longitudinal center and above the said strips and forming a central conduit, and a series of separator-strips of greater width than the first series and located above the same and at an opposite angle thereto, the said strips being arranged between the longitudinally-extending plates andthe frame of the machine, and serving to direct the sand or tailings from each side of the bed to the central conduit, substantially as specified.

2. A separator comprising a frame or casing, a spider arrangedin said frame or casing, the upper surface of the said spider inclining downward from the longitudinal center to the side walls of the casing, the corresponding bars of each side of the spider extending inward from the sides of the spider and meeting at the longitudinal center thereof at an acute angle, a bed of flexible material secured on said spider, strips of metal or the like on the upper side of the bed above the bars of the spider and arranged at the same angle therewith, plates extending longitudinally of the bed, at each side of its longitudinal center and above the said strips forming a central conduit, separator-strips extending from the outer sides of each of said longitudinally-extending plates to the frame or casing and at an opposite angle to the iirstnamed strips, and means for agitating the flexible bed, substantially as specified.

3. A separator comprising a frame or casing, a bed of flexible material secured in said frame or casing and inclined from its longitudinal center to each side of the casing, strips of metal or the like on the upper side of the bed, the said strips being extended from the center of the bed laterally at an acute angle, plates extending longitudinally of the bed near the upper part of the inclined surface thereof and at each side of its longitudinal center, forming a central conduit, separator-strips on the first-mentioned strips and arranged at a reverse angle thereto, the said strips extending from the outer side of each longitudinally-extending plate to the frame or casing, and a dam extending across the frame or casing at its outlet end, the said dam being connected to the lower series of the first-named strips and of equal height therewith, means for adjusting the'longitudinal incline of the separator, and means for agitating the iiexible bed, substantially as specied.

a. A separator, comprising a frame or casing, a hopper at the feed end of the separator, a chute at the outlet end, a iiexible bed in said frame or casing, the said iiexible bed being inclined from its longitudinal center downward to the sides, a series of separatorstrips arranged on the bed at an acute angle, the spaces or channels between the strips forming pockets in which the heavier particles accumulate and by which they are conducted to the sides of the frame or casing, plates located at each side of the longitudinal center of the bed above the said strips and extending from the hopper to the outlet end of the machine, a second series of strips of greater width than the iirst-mentioned strips and extending from the outer sides of the longitudinal strips at a reverse angle to the first series of strips and serving to conduct the refuse and lighter materials from each side of the separator toward the said longitudinal plates, the space between the said longitudinally-extending plates forming a central conduit into which the said refuse is forced, and deflector-lingers adjustable in the chute and located at each side of the said conduit, substantially as specified.

5. A separator comprising a frame or casing, a bed of flexible material in said frame or casing, and inclined from its longitudinal center laterally in both directions, separating devices on said bed, a rocker-frame secured to the separator frame or casing, the said rocker-frame being curved longitudinally on its under side and having an opening through its bottom, and also communieating with the separator-casing under its bed, a main frame, a top plate on said main frame having an opening, a ,boxing or frame surrounding said opening and having longitudinally-curved ianges or plates at the inner sides of the side pieces, the said rockerframe fitting within the boxing, and the flangesof the boxing conforming to the curved under side of the rocker-frame, and forming a bed for the same on which the rockerframe and the parts supported thereby may be readily moved to adjust the separator-bed as to its longitudinal pitch or incline, bolts for holding the rocker-frame in the adjusted position on its bed, a bellows underneath the top plate, and means for operating said bellows to force air against the flexible bed, substantially as specified.

6. A separator having a iiexible bed, a bellows for forcing air against said flexible bed for agitating the same, a shaft mounted to turn in the frame of the machine, boxings `having openings at opposite sides through which the shaft passes, a spring -pressed IOO IIO

block fitting in the lower portion of each of said boxings, a block in the upper portion of each boxing, struts connecting the said upper blocks with the bellows-frame, and eccentrics mounted on the said shaft and operating against the said blocks, substantially as specied.

7. A separator having a iiexible bed, a bellows for forcing air against said flexible bed for agitating the same, a shaft mounted to turn in the frame of the machine, boxings having openings at opposite sides through which the said shaft passes, a block fitted to slide in the upper part of each boxing and connected with the bellows-frame, a block iitted to slide in the lower portion of each boxing, stems extending from the lower blocks and movable in sockets on the base of the frame, springs pressing on the said lower blocks, and eccentrics on the said shaft operating against the said blocks, substantially as set forth.

8. A separator comprising a frame or casing, a bed of flexible material in said frame or casing, separating devices on said bed, a

rocker-frame upon which the frame or casing is mounted, the said rocker-frame being curved longitudinally on its under side and having an opening through its bottom, and

also communicating with the separator-cas- 3o A ing under its bed, a main frame, a top plate on said main frame having an opening, a boxing or frame surrounding said opening and having longitudinally-curved flanges or plates at its sides conforming to the curved 35 under side of the rocker-frame and forming i a bed for the same on which the rocker-frame and the parts supported thereby7 may be readily moved to adjust the separator-bed as to its longitudinal pitch or incline, bolts for 4o VILLIAM IIOOPER.

lVitnesses:

GRACE G. QUINN, n ROBERT Bimini?. 

